This time it's real. March 1st (Northumberland/Tyne and Wear) 

Heavy, sticky mud warning

As we had our first jabs several weeks ago Brian, Margaret and I have decided on a socially distanced walk close to home. The walk starts and finishes at Hartley, the south end of Seaton Sluice. There is a freecar park close to the Delaval Arms. Turn infront of the pub and go the short way down the track to the parking area.

                          Car park; it was a misty morning.

From the car park we walked north on a footpath before taking to the road overlooking Collywell Bay and Charley's Garden. Having reached Seaton Sluice we crossed  the Seaton Burn on the footbridge, turned right and walked along the beach towards Blyth. It was misty, the sea could be heard but not seen. Near Blyth we walked up on to the promenade and joined other people for coffee at Cicarelli, coffee shop, fish and chip shop, take away only.

                            Misty morning; the cut at Seaton Sluice.

After coffee we walked back along the road to the cemetery and walked the track towards Lysdon Burn, turning off to walk round the square shaped fishing pool. From there we walked down the muddy side of a field, turned left, through a wood and across fields to Lysdon Farm.

From there we followed a track to Seaton Red Farm and on towards The Avenue.

                        Close to the Avenue, no idea what it is

We crossed the Avenue and followed the dismantled railway, now a footpath/cycle way for about a mile before turning right along a lane to Holywell Pond where we called a Herbie.

Birdhide at Holywell Pond. We shared Titans, savoury flapjack and ginger cake from Mrs A as we watched the birdlife on the pond. There were tufted ducks, potchards, shovellers, teal, herons Canada geese and  grebes on or near the water, plus an egret we spotted on a pool as we approached the pond.

                                              Pond Life

Lunch over we walked on to Holywell village.

                                      Holywell War Memorial

At Holywell we headed south on the road to Earsdon but as soon as we had crossed the bridge we took the steps down into the Holywell Dene. The Dene path was the only climb of the day, short but steep. Three Roe deer watched us from the north side of the stream as we watched them.

We left the dene at Crow Hall Farm and walked another stretch of the dismantled railway to Brier Dene Farm. Here we left the railway and took a footpath north east which eventually brought us to a very muddy short stretch of yet another dismantled railway line. We left this at a demolished bridge and turning right followed a track to the road between Whitley Bay and Hartley. Walking down the road we reached St. Mary's lighthouse, now a Nature Reserve. The lighthouse was cut off by a high tide which did allow us to wash some of the mud off our boots.

                                      St Mary's lighthouse.

From the lighthouse we followed the cliff top path back to the cars at Hartley and as the pubs were closed, went home. But it was really good to be out again. 

The walk is about 11.7 miles, muddy but easy going.

Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2021